2020.05.2822:00:00UTC+00Japan Data To Be Released On Friday

Japan is scheduled to release a batch of data on Friday, headlining a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are April figures for unemployment, industrial production, retail sales and housing starts, plus May figures for consumer confidence and Tokyo inflation.

The jobless rate is expected to rise to 2.7 percent from 2.5 percent in March. Industrial production is tipped to fall 5.1 percent on month and 7.3 percent on year after sliding 3.7 percent on month and 5.2 percent on year in the previous month.

Retail sales are expected to sink 6.6 percent on month and 11.5 percent on year after dropping 4.5 percent on month and 4.6 percent on year a month earlier. Housing starts are tipped to tumbled an annual 12.1 percent after falling 7.6 percent in March.

Overall Tokyo inflation is called flat on year after adding 0.2 percent in April, while core CPI is tipped to fall 0.2 percent on year after easing 0.1 percent in the previous month. The consumer confidence index had a score of 21.6 in April.

South Korea will provide April data for industrial production and retail sales. Industrial production is tipped to fall3.2 percent on month and 0.5 percent on year after rising 4.6 percent on month and 7.1 percent on year in March. Retail sales were down 1.0 percent on month and 8.0 percent on year in the previous month.

Malaysia will see April figures for producer prices; in March, producer prices were down 3.0 percent on month and 1.9 percent on year.

Singapore will provide April figures for producer prices; in March, producer prices were down 6.1 percent on month and 9.4 percent on year.

Thailand will release April numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. In March, imports were worth $18.64 billion and exports were at $20.91 billion for a trade surplus of $2.27 billion.

Australia will see April figures for private sector credit, with forecasts suggesting an increase of 0.3 percent on month and 3.3 percent on year - slowing from 1.1 percent on month and 3.6 percent on year in March.

The Philippines will provide April numbers for producer prices and retail sales; in March, producer prices were down 5.4 percent on year and retail sales were up 1.1 percent on year.